Talk about poor judgement. According to Angry Asian Man, on March 22 the Dave Ryan Show in Minneapolis played a racist song about the Hmong community. Apparently it was sung by one of the hosts, Steve-O, and set to the tune of Eric Claption’s "Tears in Heaven." Understandably, Minneapolis Hmong community — which numbers over 40,000 in the Minneapolis- St. Paul area — is outraged. To know why, just read these lyrics:
No room for a couch
‘Cause we sleep on the floor
One big group of Vangs Hmong family of twenty-four
Kids work in St. Paul
Hang out at the mall
‘Cause I know they dwell so well
Thirty Hmongs in a houseHmongs get pregnant early
First baby at 16
Seven kids by 23
Over the hill by 30
Like sardines they live
Packed in a two-room house with the kids
But you know they age quite well
They be Hmongs.
And listen for yourself:
The Minnesota chapter of Asian American Journalists Association sent a letter to KDWB-FM. And the response was not an apology, but instead:
Our listeners understand that The Dave Ryan in the Morning show is a comedy show meant to entertain, and that much of its content is parody. While we’ve received positive feedback from many Hmong listeners who let us know that they found the song in questions very humorous, we apologize to anyone we may have inadvertently offended, as this was never our intent.
As this story goes national, producers at The Dave Ryan Show hopefully won’t be laughing for too long.